5 Best Sights in The Amazon Basin, Peru

At this animal-rescue center, a short trip south of town, you can get a close look at one of the region's rarest, and most threatened, species: the manatee. Despite being protected by Peruvian law, manatees continue to be hunted for their meat. The center, a collaboration of the Dallas World Aquarium and Zoo and two Peruvian institutions, raises orphaned manatees and nurses injured ones back to health for eventual release in the wild. It also serves as an environmental education center to raise awareness of the gentle creature's plight.

A popular spot for explorers of all ages, Isla de los Monos (Monkey Island) is home to more than 40 monkeys of eight species. The 250-hectare (618-acre) island is a private reserve where monkeys that were once held in captivity, or were confiscated from animal traffickers, now live in a natural environment. In addition to the monkeys, there are sloths, parrots, macaws and a small botanical garden. Since most of the animals are former pets, you can get very close to them; maybe even closer than you might want. The easiest way to visit the island is on a tour.

The Ayapua, a 33-meter (108-foot) boat built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1906, navigated the Brazilian Amazon for much of the rubber boom and was brought to Iquitos by the nonprofit Fundamazonia in 2005 to be renovated and turned into a museum. It is now moored next to Plaza Ramón Castilla, on the Itaya River, and contains displays about the rubber boom and historic photos of the region from that era. The bridge has been refurbished, and there is a small bar where you can have a beer or soft drink.

A 20-minute boat ride from the port of Bellavista Nanay and a short (15-minute) walk or a tuk-tuk ride in dry season will bring you to Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm, which raises some 42 butterfly species and serves as home for wild animals that have been confiscated from hunters and wildlife traffickers. It has macaws, a jaguar, a manatee, monkeys (some free roaming), and other animals. During wet season, the boat may take you the whole way. A private boat to and from Padre Cocha should cost 60 soles, depending on the type of motor. Some boat operators may try to take you to a smaller butterfly farm, so insist on Pilpintuwasi; ask for Gudrun.